Maryland's Phase II Watershed Implementation Plan for the Chesapeake Bay Watershed - Public Comment Period

On December 15, 2011, Maryland provided EPA with a preliminary draft of the State’s Phase II Watershed Implementation Plan (WIP).  The purpose of the preliminary draft was to provide EPA with an opportunity to confirm that the proposed strategies would meet the Bay TMDL goals.  EPA provided evaluations of all the jurisdictions’ Draft Phase II WIPs and 2012-2013 two-year milestones. Based on results from EPA, updated draft documents are available below for public review and comment from January 26, 2012 through March 9, 2012.

Comments on the draft Phase II WIP should be submitted in writing to MDE no later than March 9, 2012 by email (preferred) to: wipcoordinator@mde.state.md.us or by post to: Tom Thornton, Maryland Department of the Environment, 1800 Washington Boulevard – Suite 540, Baltimore MD 21230-1718.

All comments received during the comment period will be considered as the State continues to refine the Phase II WIP for submittal to EPA on March 30, 2012.  Comments will be consolidated and responses provided in a document that will be available on this web site.

A series of regional public informational meetings on the draft Phase II WIP will take place during the comment period.  Please note that formal comments will not be taken at the public meetings; rather, these meetings are to answer questions about the WIP.

Public Informational Meetings Schedule 

• Monday, February 6 – 1:00–3:30 PM - Washington College, Chestertown
• Tuesday, February 7 – 6:30–9:00 PM - Videoconferencing from the 4H Center in College Park to the following sites: College of Southern Maryland, Frostburg University, and Salisbury University (Weather date: Wednesday, February 22)
• Wednesday, February 29 – 1:00–3:30 PM – Hagerstown Community College
• Thursday, March 1  – 6:30-9:00 PM – Baltimore County Agricultural Center
  
• Monday, March 5 – 2:00–4:00 PM - MDE, Baltimore

      Meeting Location Details and Driving Directions

Note:  Meetings are cancelled if schools are closed all day (not delayed opening) due to inclement weather in the county where the meeting will be held.

Any hearing-impaired person may request an interpreter to be present at a meeting by giving five (5) business days notice to the Department's Fair Practices Office at (410) 537-3964. TTY users may contact the Department through the Maryland Relay Service at 1-800-735-2258.

Public Meeting Presentations

      Phase II WIP Overwiew

      Agriculture's Role in the Phase II WIP 

Acknowledgements

MDE appreciates funding support provided by the Town Creek Foundation to the Harry R. Hughes Center for Agro-Ecology, and thanks the Center for Agro-Ecology for its assistance in coordinating and facilitating these public meetings.